In recent times, 1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitro-benzene (TATB) has been in great demand as an explosive in some applications because of its high resistance to shock (insensitivity), its stability, its high density and its accelerated detonation characteristics relative to other conventional explosives such as TNT. A few methods for the preparation of diamino-trinitro-benzene, TATB or TATB-based explosives have been published.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,798, issued to Atkins et al., teaches a method for preparing penta-nitro-aniline and triamino-trinitro-benzene from trinitro-toluene.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,439,622, issued to Hansen et al., discloses a method of forming large crystals of 1,3,5-triamino-trinitro-benzene by aminating 1,3,5-trichloro-trinitro-benzene with a suitable aminating agent.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,595, issued to Benziger, discloses an insensitive plastic-bonded explosive consisting of a mixture of 90 wt % of triamino-trinitro-benzene and 10 wt % of a saturated copolymer of chloro-trifluoro-ehtylene and vinylidene fluoride and a method for its preparation.
In some instances, very fine particle size material with a surface area of the order of several square meters per gram is desirable. Normally, with most chemicals, small particle size material may be obtained by conventional purification methods known in the art such as precipitation, coprecipitation and the like. However, controlling the particle size or producing TATB of sub-micron particle size by the use of these conventional methods has not been heretofore possible because suitable solvents and techniques have not been available.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,032,377, ('377 patent), issued to Benziger, describes a method for the production of high-purity triamino-trinitro-benzene whereby 1,3,5-trichloro-benzene is nitrated to form 1,3,5-trichloro-2,4,6-trinitro-benzene followed by amination to triamino-trinitro-benzene in the presence of sufficient water to render the ammonium chloride byproduct semideliquescent. However, the '377 patent does not refer to any particle size desirable or achieved.
It would be desirable, therefore, to have available a method for the production of TATB of small particle size.
Accordingly, it is an object of the subject invention to provide an explosive composition with improved detonating characteristics.
Yet another object is to provide TATB of a high degree of purity and of small particle size.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.